When to See a Therapist for Grief or Loss?

I try to make it pretty clear that I don’t believe that grief should be pathologized (treated as psychologically abnormal or unhealthy). Grief is normal. So why would you go to a therapist if your main issue is that you’re grieving a loss?

In general, it can be good to consider therapy whenever a certain thing is causing you distress or interfering in some part of your life. If you find that it’s taking over your life, or you’re rearranging your lifestyle to accommodate the issue. If you feel that your life or your way of coping is not what you want at this time.

With grief, sometimes people can feel like they're “going crazy” inside of the experience. Since grief is not widely talked about, they might not have anything to gauge their experience against. Sessions with a therapeutic professional can offer them an opportunity to share their story, normalize the experience, and understand the process of grief. 

Sometimes grief is not the only issue. You may have anticipatory grief regarding the terminal illness of your parent, but also want help sorting through how that stress is negatively impacting your romantic relationship. You may be grieving the loss of a prior pregnancy but also feeling overwhelming anxiety during a current pregnancy. You may be mourning the death of a partner and also feeling a desire to explore the relationship patterns you’ve found yourself in and figure out how to make a different future for yourself.

Many people process and deal with loss in their own way, and often with support from loved ones. Others feel like they need additional support. Therapy can help you through transitions in life of any kind. 

If you’re thinking you may benefit from supportive therapy, give it a try. Starting work with a therapist doesn’t mean you have to continue with that first person if it’s not a good fit, and starting therapy doesn’t mean you’ll be in it forever. Ideally you’ll receive support, education, and increased coping skills to take with you. I wish you the best.